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Bombs break hearts as well as bodies

13 Jul 02:59pm

Filed under: Bombs, Laos, United States Of America, War, Weapons

Images and video footage of Hillary Clinton greeting Phongsavath Souliylath in a rehabilitation centre in Laos this week have been splashed across papers, shared, liked, and commented upon by Lao people, aid workers, and international campaigners.

Phongsavath lost both hands and his eyesight when his friend passed him a “funny-looking object” that he found by the roadside as the boys walked to school. The unexploded bomb, a remnant of the Vietnam War, exploded in Phongsavath’s hands. It was his 16th birthday.

Reports of Phongsavath’s meeting with the US Secretary of State are being heralded as a monumental step forward for the tiny land-locked country and its people, and have elicited quite emotional reactions from people who have lived and worked in Laos.

Continue reading "Bombs break hearts as well as bodies" »

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Robert Rands says:

09:42am | 28/07/12

Cluster bombs work? Yep, and the ones that didn’t work correctly on the battlefield keep on working, for generations afterward. Many Lao villagers are still faced with the choice between going hungry or growing rice and other crops in UXO-cointaminated land. I know, because I have been directly involved, on… Read more »
Janet says:

07:28pm | 14/07/12

An inspiring and challenging article that highlights the impact of cluster bombs in the context of the personal and inspiring experiences of a young advocate. The article clearly captures the impact of an atrocity in our time that is little known and even less understood. The challenge will be to… Read more »

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